Chevelle: Big On Bourdain, String Cheese

Chevelle: Big On Bourdain, String Cheese

Metal band's frontman has a secret pizzaiolo past

Touring musicians have a great gig. Rock and roll! It’s doubly great when they’re interested in exploring the international culinary world. We do realize some bands subsist solely on Taco Bell and Coke Zero. Shame on them! There’s Hatch chile to sample in New Mexico. Pappy Van Winkle in Kentucky. Doppelbock outside Hamburg. Tortas on the California-Mexico border. In Good Food, Rocks, we track down a band member serious about their grub—and who has held a job in the food industry too.

Chicago metal band Chevelle is a rare three-brothers act — Sam (drummer), Dean Bernardini (bass, and brother-in-law to the Loeffler clan) and Pete (vocals/guitar) Loeffler recently released their sixth studio album Hats Off The Bull in December and are considered one of the genre’s most influential acts.

According to the band’s resident food freak Pete, the record (which hit #1 on the iTunes Rock Charts) was fueled by the a love of “coffee, beer, string cheese and more coffee.” We caught up with the former pizzaiolo about touring eats and his love of Anthony Bourdain.

What is a job you held previously in the food industry?
I learned how to make great pizza when I was 16 by working at a local pizza shop. To me it all comes down to the sauce. If you have a great sauce the pizza is going to be great! Of course, being 16, I met a girl and consequently got fired for being late all the time.

What is your favorite city to visit for the food while on tour?
I love the food in New Orleans! Especially the shrimp and grits at [John Besh‘s restaurant] Lüke.

When on tour, what are some of your band’s food and drink requests?
It’s hard to be healthy on the road and really hard on a tour bus. I would love to say that we eat a ton of fruit and veggies, but it mostly comes down to a ton of take out. We get lots of rotisserie chickens and always have the all important after-show Guinness around.

What’s the nicest meal you have been taken out to as a band?
I am a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain and we recently ate at his restaurant Les Halles in NYC [where he is chef-at-large]. The pommes frites are to die for!

Have you ever heard one of your songs being played in a restaurant?
Our band is a bit heavy to be played in most restaurants, but I am sure that it has happened.